Antidepressant could help ferry drugs across blood-brain barrier

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that pairing an antidepressant with neurological drugs can enhance drug delivery to the brain. The team’s research was published online in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism.

The team cautioned that more work needs to be done to determine if the discovery will hold up in the clinic, but the team’s work could enhance treatment for brain-centered conditions. Traditionally, researchers have trouble fighting neurological diseases with drugs because of the blood-brain barrier – a protective barrier that keeps dangerous compounds out of the brain, but also prevents drugs from getting in.